Two Out of Three

Two Out of Three

Firstly, if you don't own Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell album, what is wrong with you?

Secondly, how do you know that you’re healthy? What's the right thing to measure yourself by, your Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, or waist to hip ratio?


Thirdly, why would anyone want to put their health down to a number? Unless it's the number 42, but surely people know whether they feel healthy or not?
 

Body Mass Index (BMI)
 

Body Mass Index (BMI) is way of seeing whether your weight is appropriate for your height. It's quite favoured by the medical professionals GP's and the like, to let you know whether your fat or not. According to my BMI, even though I've lost 5 stone I'm still now overweight rather than being borderline morbidly obese. It recommends that I lose another 20Kg or 2 stone to be healthy. Which when I look at myself I'm not too sure where this would come off from, there's a bit of fat left on my stomach & arms which I'd like to get rid of but I don't think there's 20Kgs of it...maybe there is who knows.

Personally, I don't like the BMI as we all know muscle is leaner & more dense than fat, therefore all of our favourite sports starts would epically fail on this measuring scale & like the rest of us told to lose some weight.

To check your BMI if you want to click here: http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx

 

Body Fat Percentage

Is a little trickier to calculate, unless you have a pair of callipers, which I wish I had.

I sometimes used the weight machines in Boots or at the Gym where is does measure your BMI but also your body fat but sending an extremely small electrical current though your body to measure the fat, whether this works or not I have no idea. Last time I used one of these machines was 2 months ago, where my body fat percentage was 30%.

Also there are measurement systems online where you just need a tape measure here's a link to one: http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat from using this link my body fat percentage now is 27%. It is possible that I've lost 3% in the last two months, with the weight resistance training I'm doing. So with my body fat being at 27% this means for a woman, my age, my body fat percentage is average, however I am working on getting this to the ideal section.

Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR)

 
The waist to hip ratio is an indicator to see whether you’re an apple or pear/hourglass body shape. As people who are more apple shape & carry more fat around their abdomen are more likely to develop heart disease. To calculate your waist to hip ratio you measure you waist & hips in inches & divide. It's simple maths that even I can do it, but here's a link to make it easier: http://www.virginactive.co.uk/active-matters/tools/waist-hip-ratio

Men with a WHR of 0.95 and women who have a WHR of 0.85 or less are in good health and are more likely to be hourglass or pear shaped, however, if your WHR is above this it means you should probably lose some weight due to the risk to your heart.

My WHR is 0.76 which is good; if I did this 3 years ago I think it would have told a different story.

Basically, above is a load of numbers, charts & calculations that are used to figure out whether a person is healthy or not. Now, I personally don't think you should go by just one measuring system, which is why I have demonstrated the 3 above. From these I'm good, average & overweight; which is why I say two out of three ain't bad.

 

A lot of slimming groups will only use one measuring scale usually the BMI, I personally don't like this as I'm currently trying to build muscle & reduce my body fat this scale works against me as muscle weigh's more than fat anyway. Plus by only using one scale I don't think you can get a clear picture of your body. You may find that you have a good WHR but would like to lose more body fat so then you can look into exercise & food changes that could help you achieve this goal. But also don't forget that it also matters what you feel on the inside as a person, as only you will know in yourself whether something is wrong physically or whether new foods/exercise or whatever it is in your life doesn't agree with you. This will be an indication of whether you’re healthy or not...not a load of numbers.

 

 

P.S Sorry for not posting anything sooner, I've been super busy with one thing & another, but will to continue to post regularly as possible. Peace & Love x

 

 

 

Obesity in the News

Obesity in the News

Forgive my ignorance, but I never knew that people who are morbidly obese could recieve benefits for this so called "disability".

I understand that people can develop obesity from an underactive thyroid, or from cushing syndrome and depression. These are valid medical reasons that warrant people to have such a benefit, if they let these conditions effect their everyday lives.

However, people who carry extra weight through no fault of their own by eating too much, shouldn't have any disability benefit; they've brought the problem on themselves, they should be able to overcome it by themselves. We all know that by becoming obese & eating the wrong foods can cause health problems such as hypertension, circulatory problems, cancer, depression and diabetes, so I don't see why people should be allowed to claim for the benefit, if they brought it on themselves. They will already be in receipt of free health care to help with the medical problems brought on by becoming obese, so they shouldn't be allowed to recieve disability benefit too.

I was completely appalled one day, I came home from work and scrolled through my facebook feed, to find someone had commented on a video from that days This Morning programme. It was a story about a 15 year old girl, who weighed 17 stone who wanted a gastric band on NHS. She claimed she'd tried everything, and that the pressure of society made her believe that gastic band was the only option left. This is a 15 year old girl, she hasn't even finished developing yet, she could easily lose all that weight with the right knowledge and a positive attitude, and to ignore what 'society' says that its all about how you look, actually it's all about being confident and not to let anyone mug you off.

Watch the interview here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRcSROE0hyM

I actually felt quite sorry for her, and could relate to her situation about feeling down, inadequate in 'society's' eyes, having no self esteem or confidence. I'd actually really like to help her to let her know that actually she's not alone, and that she can do it once she puts her mind to it, and that actually she doesn't need to put her self through unnecessary surgery.

When I first started my weight loss I was half a stone (7lbs/3.1Kg) away from being categorised as morbidly obese, luckily for me I hadn't developed any physical health problems yet. I've written this blog because I believe it's important to educate people about what they're doing to their bodies. I've learnt the hard way & I also fear that if something isn't done to combat this obesity crisis that is sweeping over western civiliations we're all gonna end up like this...



Week 3 Update....

Week 3 Update

Afternoon all! 

My weekly update, this week I've gained 0.1Kg again this week I hope it's muscle (fingers crossed). I've also lost another 0.1% percent of body fat! which again isn't a lot but it's hard to shift. This week; exercise wise I went to pole fitness, bootcamp & PT,  totally smashed 100Kg leg press at bootcamp (check out the video https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=889820191040043&pnref=story).

I also attempted a cheeky little jog/run yesterday I didn't go very far, but I was testing my foot as I've had a broken navicular the last few weeks, which has repaired I still have some soft tissue damage, but I can go back to kickboxing next week! 

I haven't done lovely flipagram this week of my food diary as I forgot to take photos haha but I hope everyone had a lush pancake day! 

Know Your Shapes

Know Your Shapes 

Are you an apple, pear, hourglass, banana, rectangle, triangle, or a footlong? 

Do you have a spare tyre, rubber ring, tree trunks, bingo wings, pooch or are you bow legged? 

These are some names that women & the media use to define & stereotype women's body shapes & parts, these multiple names that are given to our bodies, some of them actually belong to the same group of body shapes, we as women just call them a million different things as what they look like, who knows why?
These names all stem from the original works of William Sheldon (1940) on the somatotype's people's body shapes, there are three categories which you can fall into. 
Mesomorph, ectomorph & endomorph, from this you can see what shape your body falls into & now you can find workouts & exercises plans for your goals based on your body type. 

Mesomorph

Mesomorph's are naturally gifted athletes, they can gain muscle & fat easily, they can also lose it easily. Naturally lean & muscular with wider shoulders than hips. They have an efficient metabolism.

Ectomorph 

Ectomorph's are life's natural skinny bitches, lovely long limbs, small shoulders, low body fat percentage & a fast metabolism; which means they can get away with eating what they like. 

Endomorph 

Endomorph's have high muscle & fat mass, meaning they are solidly built short & stocky but struggle to lose fat. They also have sluggish metabolisms, which they should watch what they eat, & if they go off track they'll find they gain fat easily. 

Unfortunately, I'm in the endomorph group, which means you must sweat like a pig & work like a horse, if you want to look like a fox! I have lost a lot of fat, but it's always easier to lose excess fat in the beginning of any lifestyle change. Now, I wish to progress my body & shape further become fitter & more toned, I'm now struggling with losing fat, this is where my hard work begins. 

As now I have to compete against my own body, as everyone a has a natural fat storage level, I have plateaued around the same weight for a while now because I think my body has reached its natural fat storage level, but because I want to lose more fat I need to make sure I eat right & exercise well to be able to achieve this. 

I have done some research for myself using my somatotype to find eating plans & exercise ideas which have helped, I'm naturally not going to be great at cardio, however, my short yet stocky build means I can lift heavy, which is great because being able to lift will help burn the fat so I will get leaner & more toned whilst keeping my endomorphic softness & curves. 

So my lovely audience, I ask you to take the brave step & look in the mirror & really look to see what shape you see. Take your measurements as this is also a good indication of what shape you have. You can put your measurements into a website (see the link) & it can tell you what shape you are. Once you have your shape, do some research about foods & exercise for the body shape you'll probably be surprised on what is good for you! http://www.calculator.net/body-type-calculator.html

The other night I completed a questionnaire online on body shapes, which told me I was more endomorphic but I was also mesomorphic, it was quite fun filling it in, apart from when I asked my parents whether my forearms where big, average or small, my dad who thought he was being hilarious kindly replied that they were big like Popeye's, I replied that I would get anchors tattooed on them so I looked the part! (I always thought I had average forearms & I do love eating spinach). Here's the link if you fancy doing it. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

Let's Talk About Fat

Let's Talk About Fat

Take a look at the image above, and really look at it...

Disgusting isn't it? This is what our bodies are filled with, it lays between our muscles, sits between our organs and lines our arteries. Fat. 

I've spent the last 3 years ridding my body of the excess yellow stuff, and it's been a hard slog! The reason I ended up so big was because I was eating an excessive amount of calories & doing very little movement, it's basic maths if you eat more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. Fat takes up more room in the body & therefore 5lbs of fat looks ginormous when compared to 5lbs of muscle (Hence, the stretch marks & cellulite). 

Everybody needs body fat to function healthily, it's just how we are as humans some of us have less body fat than others, some have more. There are two types of fat in the body visceral (which protects our organs) and subcutaneous (under the skin), when I was obese I probably had more visceral fat than what I do now, as over the last 3 years I have lost about 10 inches from my waist which would probably be a combination of visceral & subcutaneous fat. It is important to maintain a healthy level of visceral fat around your organs, too much fat can put strain on your organs leading to serious health problems. 

The foods that I used to consume on a daily basis, we're full of the wrong carbs, wrong fats & full of sugar. Now, that I have changed my lifestyle & my food choices I have a better understanding of what my body needs & how much. 

Everybody needs to eat some sort of fat, what type is what defines whether you gain or lose weight. Yes, that's correct LOSE weight! If you eat healthy fats, this can actually help you shift the fat you no longer want. 

I use my fitness pal to record my food diary everyday, it counts calories & all the nutrients you eat, you just need to remember that fat has the highest amount of calories per gram, so even though you're eating healthy fats, you still need to control how much. (1g of fat = 9 calories, 1g of protein = 4 calories, 1g of carbohydrate = 4 calories). 

Avoid trans fats at all costs! Trans fats come in the form of all our favourite things, crisps, cake, chips, takeaways; all processed & fried foods. Look out for the magic word hydrogenated on packaging, then put it down and walk away. 

Saturated fat is the not so good fat, but you should still have the foods in your diet in moderation as these foods have other great nutritional values, saturated fat is found in red meat & dairy products. 

Poly-saturated fat is a healthy fat, it can help lower cholesterol and usually are foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential for building a strong body & regulating hormones. Poly-saturated fat can be found in nuts, seeds & oily fish such as salmon & mackerel. 

Mono-saturated fats are also healthy fats, these are my favourite kind mainly because I love olive oil. Mono-saturated fat raises good cholesterol which keeps our hearts healthy, this type of fat can be found in avocados, olive oil & peanut oil. 

It's taken a while, but I have educated myself on what to eat, what not to eat & other nutritional benefits of certain foods, if other people can take the time & do the same then that is half the battle, knowledge is power, use it wisely.

Personally, I always ensure I have a good mixture of saturated, poly & mono fats to maintain a healthy level of fat, but also because the food that contain these fats have other healthy benefits too, and can contribute to fat loss & overall health & well-being. 

Food Glorious Food

Food, Glorious, Food 

When I was using Slimming World, I found it quite a useful tool as it taught me portion sizes, to set limits to things like dairy, sweets, chocolate; it taught me about delicious new foods,   & swap sugar for sweetener & making low-fat or no fat choices; it still allowed me to eat a little bit of what I fancied by using the syn system. 

When I started Team Dynamix, it used the acid/alkaline diet, which was completly new & terrifying to me but actually it wasn't that bad; it actually made me think more about what I was putting in my body, and that I needed the right nutrition to fuel my body for the exercise I was doing. 

It works on the principle that the body is made up of alkaline cells, and that if we eat more acidic foods our cells will swell & bloat with the acidic foods because it takes longer for our bodies to process them, where as if you eat mainly alkaline foods, our bodies will return to & maintain at an alkaline state.

For this I had to give up all man made processed foods, anything white, caffeine, alcohol, all refined sugars & sweeteners, and red meat (but only for the first two weeks) & I went gluten free. 

This is a food diagram of what you can eat, you should aim for 80% alkaline 20% acidic.  

So, I swapped my breakfast for gluten free granola with almond milk, my builders tea (milk & 2 sugars)  for  green or herbal. You could have one portion of fish & one portion of poultry a day, so I alternated my lunches & dinners, with a portion of complex carbs so I used sweet potatoes, quinoa & couscous. For my morning snack I had one portion of fruit to stabilise my blood sugars throughout the day, eventually I cut this out. The good thing about this diet is that you could have some full-fat products such as yoghurt, houmous & milk, the reason for this is you need fat to break down fat. If you have low fat & no fat products basically it's had  all the good fats taken out and replaced with several "ingredients" or chemicals that you can't pronounce. The basic rules are, if it has more than 5 ingredients don't eat it & if it has anything in the ingredients list that you can't pronounce, you probably shouldnt eat it either.

                                        

For the first 3 days I was walking around like a zombie, I was lethargic, had a headache & chills. This was my body's response to going cold-turkey to my caffeine addiction, I like drinking tea; only I used to drink it in bucket style mugs, several times throughout the day.

I now had zero caffeine & it was awful, I now see why drug addicts don't quit, it's bloody horrendous, however, after 3 days I felt fantastic I had all this energy, because of this diet & no caffeine meant that my body was using energy from my fat stores (yay!).

I think I got away lightly as some other members of my group not only drank loads of coffee, they drank coke so some of them had to ween themselves off of it which took a few days longer, so I would cut the fizzy drinks out as soon as possible.

At home we have steak night once a week, it's like an unwritten law. So for the first two weeks of Team Dynamix I could've cried everyone else was eating steak & I had chicken, it sucked. However, after that you could have it once a week, so having a steak for dinner became my treat meal of the week, with sweet potato wedges & cheesy 'slaw.

My sweet tooth has got better over time, I still have days where I could totally eat a whole cake, but I have a new love now, Green & Blacks dark chocolate is divine. Dark chocolate that uses 70% cocoa solids is also good for you! As it's a purer form of chocolate is has some fat burning properties, and also because it's bittersweet you don't need much to satisfy your cravings! 

I've also tried doing this diet on the 5/2 theory for 2 weeks after I completed bootcamp, so every other day I ate 600 calories after 2pm, to shock my body again, it did work & the first day is always the hardest, I drank water & green tea until 2pm & I found the trick is to have your first meal prepped ready to go, so I had my porridge ready to go for 2pm on the dot, that way I knew I wouldn't binge on my first meal. 

The thing about the alkaline/acid diet, it may have a funny name & the word diet in the title but really it teaches you to eat clean. By not having any man made processed foods & it teaches you to be more wise about your food options throughout the day, to actually think about what you're going to eat next. 

I've found from being on this diet, well it's not really a diet to me anymore it's my lifestyle now & over time my tastes have really changed, I can no longer stomach a takeaway, as all I can taste is the grease they've cooked it in, I also no longer have extreme cravings for sweets & chocolate.

I contantly think about food but for the right reasons, about my next meal what can i make next, I have a pinterest board dedicated to health food inspiration, which really comes in handy. https://uk.pinterest.com/emmalbrown87/healthy-foods/